Tension device



(No Model.)

S. S. TAYLOR.

TENSION DEVICE.

No. 488,280. Patented Dec. 20, 1892.

Wifiyzsszs 1999,1316? ma "cams PETERS co. PNOTUUTHOY, WASNWGFON, n. cy

UErTEn STATES PATENT @EETEE.

SAMUEL S. TAYLOR, OF SCHOOLEYS MOUNTAIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANKBELL, OF JERSEY CITY, NElV JERSEY.

TENSION DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,230, dated December20, 1892.

Application filed July 14, 1892. Serial No. 440.053. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States,residing at Schooleys Mountain, in the county of Morris and State of NewJersey,have invented a new and useful Tension Device, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to fences, and more especially to thecompensators used in the midlength or at least between the points ofpermanent fastening of a wire fence; and the object of the same is toprovide an improved compensator or tension device which will permit thelongitudinal expansion and contraction of the wire under changes intemperature, Without the necessity for any watching.

To this end the invention consists in a tension device or compensatorconstructed as hereinafterspecifically described and claimed, and asillustrated on the sheet of the drawings, wherein- Figure l is aperspective View of a section of fence with my improved tension devicelocated in the wires thereof. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation ofthe tension device.

Referring to the said drawings, the letter H designates a helical.spring having a loop L at each end, S is a stop composed of a stoutpiece of wire passed through the spring and having its ends E bentlaterally, and W W are the wires or sections of the same wire which areconnected to the loops. If the wire is plain or barbed it is merelypassed through the loop, bent back, and twisted on itself; and if it beribbon wire, it may be similarly passed through the loop and folded orlapped on itself and a staple, pin, or rivet R passed through the lappedportions to hold them together. However, I lay no claim to the specificmanner of securing the wires to theloops. The spring wire is small butquite stiff,

its convolutions standing normally against or nearly against each other,and the stop is preferably about five inches in length between its endsE so as to limit the distention of the spring before the latter isbroken.

In use, my improved tension device is secured in each fence wirepreferably about midway between its ends, as will be understood. If thefence is built during the summertime the tension device will be put inin a contracted condition as shown in the drawings, so that when coldweather comes and the sections of the wire contract the tension devicecan expand sufficiently to compensate. In very long stretches of fence,a tension device should be located once in, say, every quarter-mile,more or less, according to the amount of expansion and contractionpossessed by the wire of which the fence is built.

Should stock push or run against a fence hav-' ing one of these tensiondevices the latter will expand to the limit permit-ted byits stop, butneither the wire nor the tension device willbreak. I do not limit myselfto any particular size or proportions of parts.

What is claimed as new is- The herein described tension device forfence-wires, the same comprising a helical spring with an integral loopat each end, and a stop consisting of a stiff wire passing through thespring and having each end laterally bent, as and for the purposehereinbefore set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL S. TAYLOR.

